Lee DL Michael Morales walking without a brace; expects full recovery from knee injury without surgery

Jordan MasonSports Writer

Published 2:37 pm, Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Great sight to see today at Lee practice as junior defensive lineman Michael Morales, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in Lee's season opener, was walking the practice field with no brace on his knee.

"We got really good news on him," coach James Morton sad. "His ACL was not a significant tear at all, and so that's going to speed up the recovery and rehab process a lot.

"(It) wasn't significant enough to have surgery with. His MCL we're going to rehab without surgery."

Morales had shed his crutches in recent weeks but was still walking with a heavy brace on his knee after tearing his ACL and MCL on Lee's second play of the season against El Paso Montwood.

The loss was a significant blow for the team and Morales as no one was as excited as the junior to start the new season.

But the Rebels have done as good a job as they can in filling the hole Morales left on the defensive line, and "Mo" as his teammates call him, has been at every game and many practices as he continues to help the team off the field.

"He's doing well," Morton said, "doing real well."

Morales still expects to be fully recovered in time to participate in spring practices at the end of the year.